Dear Neighbor,
It has been so nice to spend this week at home in the district. And, because the House is not in session this week and I do not have a report from Washington, I thought it would be a good idea to share with you a little bit about things I am working on here at home.
As you may remember, in recent years, through the Appropriations process in Congress, members of Congress can request funding for specific projects in their communities. Since this community project funding (CPF) process began in 2021, I have secured more than $60 million for projects with a direct impact on our community—from infrastructure and flood mitigation to education.
This spring, I put in requests for the Fiscal Year 2027 appropriations for 20 projects in our district. While we are still early in the process—the committees are reviewing member requests and the House and Senate will need to pass the related bills before the President signs them into law—I want to share with you information about the requests I have made, for all kinds of projects all across our district. |
- For the City of Sugar Land, $3,000,000 to construct a new animal shelter for the City of Sugar Land. The shelter will replace an outdated facility that is over capacity with a new facility that includes new animal housing, intake/veterinary space, and animal exercise and play yards.
- For the City of Bellaire, $1,459,492 to purchase a fully equipped Metro Spartan Star Engine, which will directly enhance fire suppression and emergency response capabilities for the community served by the Bellaire Fire Department. The Metro Spartan Fire Engine will help maintain a high standard of emergency response and will significantly improve its ability to serve the community and protect lives in Bellaire.
- For Harris Fort Bend County Emergency Service District No. 100, $20,000,000 to construct a water disaster preparedness and response training campus, addressing a critical gap in advanced flood and swift-water rescue training capacity across Texas and the United States. This project will improve public safety by strengthening first responder preparedness for catastrophic flooding and water-related emergencies.
- For the City of Houston Parks and Recreation Department, $3,400,000 to conduct Phase III renovations to the Metropolitan Multiservice Center for People with Disabilities, focusing on restroom facilities and upgrades to the large meeting rooms utilized for programs and services offered, supporting the continuation and accessibility of the community center for people with disabilities of all ages.
- For the Houston Public Library, $3,200,000 to expand the youth digital collections at Houston Public Library, supporting early literacy and educational success for children who rely on digital resources for research and recreational reading. This project will improve access to literacy materials and eliminate barriers that prevent students from accessing library materials.
- For the City of West University Place, $1,076,240 to conduct a full replacement and upgrade of traffic signal infrastructure at two intersections–Weslayan Street at Rice Boulevard and Weslayan Street at University Boulevard. Replacing the existing systems will improve operational reliability, enhance safety, and reduce long-term maintenance expenses.
- For the City of Bellaire, $2,000,000 to support the design and construction of four storm sewer connections to the recently installed 10’x 8’ box storm sewer constructed by the Texas Department of Transportation along the I-610 Southbound Frontage Road from Terminal St. to Glenmont Dr. This funding will increase the area’s resiliency and reduce stormwater flooding and impacts of severe weather events, which have repeatedly flooded the area.
- For the Memorial Heights Redevelopment Authority, $3,000,000 to rehabilitate and enhance the sidewalk network within key areas of Houston’s Heights Neighborhood by addressing broken, missing, and substandard pedestrian infrastructure. The scope of work includes sidewalk construction, crosswalks, ADA ramps, and associated improvements necessary for safety and access, including lighting, sod, signage, and utility adjustments.
- For the Montrose Redevelopment Authority, $3,000,000 to enhance multimodal safety, accessibility, and connectivity by addressing critical gaps in the sidewalk network within the southwest quadrant of the Montrose Redevelopment Authority.
- For the City Park Redevelopment Authority, $5,000,000 to complete Phase II of the 12th Street Drainage Project, reconstructing a critical roadway between Hempstead Highway and Ella Boulevard, resulting in upgraded stormwater detention infrastructure and transportation facilities to serve the growing Lazybrook/Timbergrove area.
- For the Southwest Houston Redevelopment Authority, $2,000,000 to support the design and construction of several Safe Routes to School (SRTS) pedestrian improvement projects at high priority locations. This funding will directly support the community’s vision and desire for a safe, walkable neighborhood and prioritize the protection of school aged children.
- For the St. George Place Redevelopment Authority, $6,000,000 to support the design and construction of a half mile corridor in southwest Houston, improving intersection turning movements, adding sidewalks, installing drainage infrastructure, improving public utilities, and converting an asphalt roadway surface into a durable concrete road.
- For Harris County Precinct 4, $1,500,000 to construct a multi-modal corridor to connect Chimney Rock and Gulfton Street through Burnett Bayland Park. This connectivity process is a key component of the Burnett Bayland Master Plan and serves as a multi-modal corridor, connecting two densely populated portions of Gulfton to the largest greenspace in the neighborhood.
- For the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office, $2,165,000 to improve pedestrian, cyclist, and vehicle safety at crosswalks and intersections in areas of Fort Bend County experiencing increased pedestrian or cyclist crash rates. This project addresses safety concerns resulting from increased use of electric bikes and scooters in residential areas with high traffic and will improve accessibility for Fort Bend County residents to schools, service centers, grocery stores, parks, and other necessary county services in a safe manner.
- For the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, $2,000,000 to expand the capacity and coverage of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Crisis Intervention Response Team, which is the pairing of a trained law enforcement officer and a licensed mental health clinician, which has proven to be one of the most effective models for high-risk crisis response. Expanding these teams would ensure equitable response coverage across all municipalities, reduce response delays, improve crisis outcomes, and continue strengthening Harris County’s mental health crisis system.
- For the City of Sugar Land, $2,000,000 to support the design and construction of live fire training and indoor training structures to allow for year-round training for first responders. This facility allows enhanced training for Sugar Land first responders to train within the City without having to leave for external facilities, and offers space for neighboring entities to train, enhancing regional cooperation and preparation.
- For Harris County, $1,565,000 to renovate the existing Harris County Health Mosquito and Vector Control facility to establish an environmentally controlled insectary facility supporting mosquito and vector surveillance, testing, and research activities for the county. This project will strengthen the County’s insectary capacity to directly benefit residents by improving early detection, accelerating response to threats, and sustaining monitoring of vector-borne disease threats.
- For Fort Bend County, $600,000 to implement a countywide multi-factor authentication and identity security solution for law enforcement and emergency response personnel. By protecting sensitive criminal justice data and preventing unauthorized system access, this project will enhance public safety, improve accountability, and reduce cybersecurity risks to critical public safety infrastructure.
- For Harris County, $425,250 to purchase vehicles to expand Harris County’s ability to deliver medical services to patients’ homes, supporting Home Division programs by allowing clinical teams to reach patients who face barriers to accessing traditional brick‑and‑mortar facilities. This project will expand service capacity without constructing new facilities.
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Our district team in Houston and in Washington worked closely with local government offices and leaders to identify qualifying projects that will have a meaningful impact for residents across the district. I am grateful to our partners and our great #TeamTX07 staff for their work on this year’s submissions. I will, of course, keep you posted as the process moves forward.
To view more information on previous years’ community project funding requests, click here.
I am proud of this work to deliver for our community, and, of course, proud to represent you. If I can be of assistance to you, or if you want to let me know what you think about these projects or anything else, please call my office at (713) 353-8680 or (202) 225-2571 or email here at any time to ask for assistance or share your thoughts.
Sincerely,
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